You have to dig pretty deep in the stack of unwanted horror sequels to find a movie like "976-Evil II." The follow-up to the Robert Englund-directed schlocker, this sequel takes place a few years later and finds our hapless biker-bro hero from the first movie (Pat O'Bryan) hitting the road to kick it with a teenage girl (Debbie James) and hang up on the film's phoney villain once and for all. Along the way, he has to battle with a lazy demonic force and an unfortunate case of road rash.
Directed by skin-flick aueteur Jim Wynorski ("The Hills Have Thighs"), "976-Evil II" is not only serviceable, but goes so far as to surpass the original. That might not be a terribly tall order, but given this film's micro-budget and direct-to-video status, the fact that it's even watchable is a minor miracle in and of itself. Thank Wynorski, who has just as keen an eye for his female subjects as he does some surprisingly competent stuntwork and car crashes that culminate in an absolutely off-the-wall forray into "It's A Wonderful Life." The film opens with a surprisingly stylish bang, owing its vaguely tense opening scene to the great giallo flicks of the '70s. Sadly, the rest of the film doesn't quite live up to that strong set-up. Regardless, Wynorski is willing to try just about anything, and there's something of interest happening every five to ten minutes (hey look, it's Brigitte Nielsen!), and that's more than can be said for the original.
No, you haven't discovered some hidden gem with this unloved sequel, but rather, have hit upon a rather solid way to pass an hour and a half. Fans of Wynorski 's classic "Chopping Mall" in particular will want to seek this out. See the original or don't; it doesn't matter. Despite the carry-over character, this re-dial maintains a very loose connection to its source material. So put away your hang ups and get ready for something slightly off the hook. "976-Evil II" might be worth dialing into.
Directed by skin-flick aueteur Jim Wynorski ("The Hills Have Thighs"), "976-Evil II" is not only serviceable, but goes so far as to surpass the original. That might not be a terribly tall order, but given this film's micro-budget and direct-to-video status, the fact that it's even watchable is a minor miracle in and of itself. Thank Wynorski, who has just as keen an eye for his female subjects as he does some surprisingly competent stuntwork and car crashes that culminate in an absolutely off-the-wall forray into "It's A Wonderful Life." The film opens with a surprisingly stylish bang, owing its vaguely tense opening scene to the great giallo flicks of the '70s. Sadly, the rest of the film doesn't quite live up to that strong set-up. Regardless, Wynorski is willing to try just about anything, and there's something of interest happening every five to ten minutes (hey look, it's Brigitte Nielsen!), and that's more than can be said for the original.
No, you haven't discovered some hidden gem with this unloved sequel, but rather, have hit upon a rather solid way to pass an hour and a half. Fans of Wynorski 's classic "Chopping Mall" in particular will want to seek this out. See the original or don't; it doesn't matter. Despite the carry-over character, this re-dial maintains a very loose connection to its source material. So put away your hang ups and get ready for something slightly off the hook. "976-Evil II" might be worth dialing into.